Beckman Coulter said today it has acquired Labcyte for an undisclosed price, in a deal that expands the buyer’s laboratory automation business.
Based in San Jose, CA, privately-held Labcyte is the developer of Echo® acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) technology, which is designed to transfer tiny amounts of liquid with speed and accuracy through the use of sound waves—eliminating the use of pipettes.
On October 16, Labcyte launched its newest products based on ADE technology, the Echo 650 and 655 liquid handlers, which apply 2.5 nanoliter transfers. The 650 and 655 liquid handlers are microplate-based systems that include features first made available in the recently launched 650T and 655T liquid handlers, and aimed at improving usability.
Labcyte has said that its technology enables walkaway convenience and integration capabilities that facilitate faster and more cost-effective laboratory workflows in applications such as drug discovery and genomics—factors that Indianapolis-based Beckman Coulter said attracted it to Labcyte.
“Labcyte’s unique product portfolio complements our existing liquid handling and laboratory automation business,” Jonathan Pratt, president, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, said in a statement. “It provides new opportunities to develop and enhance time-saving solutions for customer workflows.
Added Richard Ellson, CTO and a founder of Labcyte, “Acoustic liquid handling is quickly becoming the backbone for high-throughput, automated workflows, and we look forward to accelerating growth and innovation as part of the Beckman Coulter Life Sciences team.”
Labcyte will be absorbed into Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, part of the Danaher Life Sciences platform of companies, which generates approximately $6.5 billion in annual revenue.
“Labcyte and Beckman Coulter Life Sciences share a common vision of advancing science through discovery, enabling the faster discovery and development of life-changing advances in medicine,” Pratt added. “Together we will make a powerful team, and an invaluable resource for current and future customers around the world.”
